Machine attached needle threader



Oct. 20, 1953 M. INGWER MACHINE ATTACHED NEEDLE THREADER Filed Feb. 25, 1950 Patented Oct. 20, 1953 MACHINE ATTACHED NEEDLE THREADER Max Ingwer, Kew Gardens Hills, N. Y., assignor ing Machine & Supply 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New to Consolidated Sew York Application February 25, 1950, Serial No. 146,23

The invention herein disclosed is a device for eifecting the threading of sewing machine needles.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a device for this purpose which can be quickly and easily mounted in permanently supported relation on the sewing machine without requiring extra parts or impairing the operation or appearance of the machine, and which will be so supported as to be out of the way and clear of the machine parts when not in use, but adapted to be shifted, when desired, into position for instant use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an attachment of this character which can be quickly and easily adjusted to line up the threading mechanism with the eye of the needle and which as a structure will consist of but few simple parts and hence can be manufactured and sold at low cost.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates a present embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

1 in the drawing is a front elevation and part sectional view showing the attachment applied to a sewing machine head, the full lines indicating the position of use and dotted lines showing how the threader may be folded up under the arm of the machine so as to be entirely out of the way when not in service;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken vertical sectional view showing the plunger projected to pass the threader hook through the eye of the needle into position for catching the thread at the far side of the needle;

Fig. 5 is a broken horizontal sectional view of the plunger and hook mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 6-6 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a broken sectional detail of the spring retainer for holding the threader in lowered position, as taken on substantially the plane of line 'i-1 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. l the head portion of a typical industrial sewing machine is indicated at 9, mounting the 1 Claim. (Cl. 112-225) needle bar H] and having a face plate II removably secured over the end of the head by upper and lower screws, the lower one appearing at The threader comprises a thin, straight blade or spur l3 having an angularly extended thread catching hook or lug M at the end of it and fastened by screw 5 to the side of a plunger it.

The latter, as shown more fully in Figs. 4 and 5, is guided in a tube I! supported by a bar IS in line with the eye of the needle l9 when at the top of its stroke. A disc or push-button 20 on the outer end of the reduced spindle portion 2| of the plunger enables the plunger to be projected to stab the hook through the needle eye as in Fig. 4, and a spring 22 interposed between this button and the back of the support l8 normally holds the plunger in the retracted position shown in Fig. 5.

Vertical adjustment of the plunger mechanism to align the hook up with the eye of the needle, is provided for in the illustration by securing the supporting bar I 8 in a vertical guideway 23 on the back of the dependent lever 24, where it is held in vertically adjusted relation by a clamp screw 25 extending through vertical slot 26 in lever 24 into screw seat 21 in the bar or plate l8. The supporting lever 24 is shown as having a rolled upper end 28 pivotally engaged over the stud 29 carried by the side arms of a substantially U-shaped yoke 30 shaped to embrace the lower end portion of the sewing machine head beneath the face plate H. The loop portion of this supporting yoke is shown as having a hole 3| to accommodate the lower face plate securing screw I2 so that the attachment can be applied by simply removing this lower screw and then slipping the supporting yoke 32' up beneath the face plate and passing the screw l2 back through the face plate and opening 3! in the yoke into its seat in the head.

The pivotal mounting of the lever 24 enables the threader to be swung up out of the way to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, when not in use, and to be instantly lowered into alignment with the needle when it is to be used.

To yieldingly hold it in either the raised or lowered positions, small retainer springs are provided, one shown at 32, Fig. 1, secured by the riveted-over end 33 of stud 29 and extending downward and carrying a ball projection 34 for engagement over the edge of lever 24 when the latter is lowered into engagement with the stop lugs 35, and the other, a similar fiat spring 35 secured by the riveted-over opposite end 3! of the stud 29, extending upward as shown in applied to the machine and does notproject or stand in the way. In the upwardly folded position the mechanism is entirely clear of the work on the bed of the machine.

The attachment can be easily applied upon simply removing the lower, face plate. screw l2 and then slipping the yoke up beneath the face plate and replacing the single securing screw. This screw, through the pressure of the face plate, will hold the threader securely in place and against any vibration or shaking movement.

The threader plunger can be quickly adjusted to the proper height upon loosening screw 25 and then tightening it after making sure that the operation of the plunger will project the threader hook accurately through the eye of the raised needle.

The threader hook I4 is usually faced downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the thread, which will usually be drawn downwardly as shown at 4! in Fig. 4, may then be simply brought forwardly beneath the hook, in the projected position, and pressure on the button 20 then released to permit the hook to pull a loop of the thread back through the needle. After making sure that the needle is in the uppermost position, this operation can be performed without difiiculty, since it only requires that the hook be projected through the needle eye and the thread be drawn in under the hook and pressure on the plunger released to permit retraction of the hook.

The structure can be made both light and strong, consisting in the main of sheet metal and the arched yoke being firmly braced across the open side of the same by the cross strut or stud 29 which is permanently riveted in the arms of the yoke at its ends and, so riveted, serves to secure the two retainer springs 32, 8B, in position.

The plunger l6 which carries the needle threading hook, is held against rotation in the tubular guide IT by having a flat 4| on one side engaged by an indentation 42, Fig. 5, in the side of the guide.

What is claimed is:

A needle threader attachment for a sewing machine having a head carrying a needle and. with a face plate over the end of the head and removably held in place by a screw extending through the face plate into the head, said attachment comprising a generally U-shaped yoke having a closed end portion shaped to embrace that portion of the, head beneath the removable face plate and having an opening in the closed end portion for passage of the face plate securing screw and whereby said yoke may be mounted in definitely fixed relation on the head by locating the closed end portion of the same beneath the face plate and passing the face plate securing screw through said screw opening provided in the elosed'end portion of the yoke, said yoke having substantially parallel spaced side arms extending away from the closed end of the yoke toward a position at the inner side of the head when the yoke is mounted in the fixed relation described. a stationary cross stud having its ends riveted to the ends of said side arms of the yoke and securing the same in rigidly spaced relation, a lever pivoted on said stud and arranged to swing upwardly into position at the inner side of the head. or downwardly into position beneath the head, a spring detent secured by one of said riveted endsof the cross stud in position for yieldingly retaining said lever in upwardly retracted positionat the inner side of the head and a needle threading hook mounted on the free end of said lever for passage through the eye of a needle when said lever is swung downwardly into position beneath the head.

MAX IN GWER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

